Amine molybdates may be produced by reacting an amine or an amine salt with a molybdenum compound such as molybdenum trioxide (MoO.sub.3), molybdic acid or a molybdenum salt in an acidic aqueous medium made acidic through the addition of a suitable acid such as an inorganic acid (exemplified by hydrochloric acid, nitric acid or sulfuric acid) or an organic acid containing 1 to 12 carbon atoms (exemplified by acetic acid, propionic acid, benzoic acid, and the like). The acidic mixture is refluxed, preferably while being stirred continuously, until the reaction is complete, usually for about 1/4 to 4 hours.
Amine molybdates also may be produced, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,292, by reacting essentially stoichiometric quantities of molybdenum trioxide with an amine or an amine salt in an aqueous medium essentially free of acid and in which a water-soluble ammonium or monovalent metal or divalent metal or trivalent rare earth metal salt of an inorganic or organic acid is dissolved. Sometimes the reaction is carried out in a polar organic solvent instead of water.
The particular amine molybdate formed may depend upon which process is used to form the amine molybdate and the quantity of reactants present in the reaction mixture, as well as the reaction conditions.